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OVERVIEW

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Brief Synopsis

The Bumstead family: father Dagwood, his wife Blondie, their son Baby Dumpling and dog Daisy, board a cruise ship to South America to accompany Dagwood's boss, Mr. J. C. Dithers, on a relaxing vacation. At the last minute, however, Dithers receives a telegram from Henderpost, a client interested in buying a canning factory owned by Dithers' company, and so Dithers sends Dagwood ashore to close the deal. As Dagwood bids farewell to his family, in the rehearsal hall below decks, bandleader Hal Trent and his musicians realize that their drummer is missing. While proceeding down the gang plank to shore, Dagwood collides with a messenger delivering the drums to the band, who shoves the drums into Dagwood's arms, throwing him off balance and back onto the ship's deck. When the ship's captain orders him to remove the drums, Dagwood stumbles down the stairs and into the rehearsal hall. Realizing that the ship has pulled out of the harbor, Dagwood explains his predicament to Lovey Nelson, the band's singer. Meanwhile, above deck, passenger Manuel Rodríguez receives a cable from his business partner, informing him that Dithers is onboard the ship and instructing him to proceed with caution. In Lovey's stateroom, a beleaguered Dagwood confides his troubles to Lovey, who agrees to speak to Blondie for him. Relieved, Dagwood walks out into the hallway and encounters Blondie, who, thinking that Dagwood is onshore, faints at the sight of him, forcing Dagwood and Lovey carry her to her room. When Dithers knocks on the door, they sneak out the door of Dithers' adjoining stateroom. Upon regaining consciousness in her own stateroom, Blondie insists that she saw Dagwood in the hallway, and to prove her wrong, Dithers asks the ship's operator to phone Dagwood at the Bumstead residence. Lovey, meanwhile, convinces Dagwood to call Blondie and explain the situation, and when Blondie picks up the phone and hears Dagwood's voice, she thinks that he is calling from their house. Soon after, the ship's captain demands to see the band's drummer and Lovey cajoles Dagwood into donning a dress and posing as the band's female drummer. As Dagwood contemplates his disguise, Blondie returns to her room and finds a message from the ship's radio operator, informing her that there was no answer to her phone call. When Blondie sees a ship's steward carrying a huge sandwich, Dagwood's favorite snack, on a tray, she realizes that he is onboard and traces the sandwich to Lovey's room, where she finds her half-clothed husband. Believing that Dagwood is having an affair with Lovey, Blondie storms out of the room. Rodríguez, meanwhile, introduces himself to Dithers and outbids Henderpost's offer by $10,000 and Dithers, thinking that Dagwood has already closed the deal, despairs. At the concert that night, Lovey introduces Dagwood, garbed in a dress, as the band's new drummer. When Blondie recognizes her husband behind the drummer's skirts, she asks Rodríguez to pretend to romance her, hoping to make Dagwood jealous. When Blondie leaves the dance floor with Rodríguez, Lovey hurries after her to explain the situation. Dagwood, miserable, hides behind his drum kit, and when Baby Dumpling recognizes his father, he points him out to Dithers. Unaware that Dithers is thrilled to discover that he has failed to complete the deal, a fearful Dagwood flees to the top deck where a forgiving Blondie embraces him. After Dithers follows and congratulates Dagwood, they rejoin the festivities on the dance floor.